Curite Mineral Data

General Curite Information

Chemical Formula:

Pb3+x(H2O)2[(UO2)4+x(OH)3-x]2, x~0.5

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 3,006.49 gm

Uranium 63.34 % U 71.85 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.30 % H 2.70 % H₂O

Lead 24.12 % Pb 25.98 % PbO

Oxygen 12.24 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.53 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Pb_3.5(H₂O)₂2(UO₂)₄2(OH)_2.5

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1921

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Pierre Curie (1859-1906) and Marie Curie-Sklodowska (1867 - 1934), French research team of radioactive minerals. Discoverd the element radium.

Name Pronunciation:

Curite

Synonym:

ICSD 100260

PDF 14-267

Curite Image

Images:

Curite

Comments: Orangish red curite crystals.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Curite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9654:1:0.6446

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.58, b = 13.03, c = 8.4, Z = 2; V = 1,376.91 Den(Calc)= 7.25

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pnam

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 6.23(1), 3.14(0.8), 3.96(0.7),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 1 1)

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Physical Properties of Curite

Cleavage:

{100} Good, {110} Good

Color:

Yellow, Reddish orange, Brownish yellow.

Density:

7.19

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Fibrous - Distinctly fibrous fine-grained forms.

Hardness:

4-5 - Fluorite-Apatite

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

orange

Optical Properties of Curite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.332 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.321 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1526,KPDmeas= 0.1539,KC= 0.1156
Ncalc = 1.83 - 1.84

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=2.06, b=2.11, g=2.15, bire=0.0900, 2V(Calc)=80, 2V(Meas)=70.

Calculated Properties of Curite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.86 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Curite =7.25 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.05
Boson Index = 0.95

Photoelectric:

PE_Curite=2,234.12 barns/electron
U=PE_Curite x r_electron=13102.35 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,367,146.75 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Curite per GRapi unit = 228.98 (PPB)

Curite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 6.96 ± 1.74 grams of pure Curite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 696.49 ±174.12 grams of pure Curite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Curite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.41 cm	113,373,906	3.06E-03	4,367,146.75	1,435.77
100 gm / 2.98 cm	11,337,391	3.06E-04	436,714.68	143.58
10 gm / 1.38 cm	1,133,739	3.06E-05	43,671.47	14.36
1 gm / 6.41 mm	113,374	3.06E-06	4,367.15	1.44
0.1 gm / 2.98 mm	11,337	3.06E-07	436.71	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.38 mm	1,134	3.06E-08	43.67	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.64 mm	113	3.06E-09	4.37	0.00

Weight of pure Curite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 7.25 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Curite Classification

Dana Class:

05.09.03.01 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(05.09)with a cation charge of 6+ containing Pb or Bi and some water of hydration or hydroxyl

(05.09.03)Dana Group

05.09.03.01 Curite Pb3x(H2O)2[(UO2)4x(OH)3-x]2,x~0.5 Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.GB.55 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides

04.GB -With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra

04.GB.55 Curite Pb3x(H2O)2[(UO2)4x(OH)3-x]2,x~0.5 Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Curite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, v 86, p 379) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Curite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Curite

Pb3+x(H2O)2[(UO2)4+x(OH)3-x]2, x~0.5
Dana No: 05.09.03.01 Strunz No: 04.GB.55
Locality:

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